OSDH Gets Vaccine Scheduler Portal Up and Running

A Vaccine Scheduler Portal that will allow eligible Oklahomans to schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations is now operational at the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Remember that appointment availability is solely dependent on vaccine supply. In addition, please be patient with the scheduler portal as Health Department staff works to ensure all available appointments are properly added throughout the day.

If you are included in the priority group and phase eligible to receive the vaccine but are not able to schedule your appointment, you will have additional opportunities next Thursday and you will be notified of those available appointments via email.

Please note that you must register at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov to receive email notifications regarding vaccine appointment availability.

The portal has been open for Oklahomans to register and provide their contact information since Jan. 5, and appointment scheduling began Thursday.

All Oklahomans are able to pre-register and enter their contact information right now. However, only Oklahomans who are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the state’s priority phase plan will be able to use the portal to schedule their vaccine appointment at this time.

Individuals who are 65 or older, health-care workers and/or first responders became eligible to schedule vaccine appointments at 8 a.m. Thursday.

“While registering will not affect when you receive the vaccine, we still recommend you use the portal to pre-register. Registering your contact and medical information in the portal will make it quicker and easier for the state to notify you when it’s your turn to get it,” said Keith Reed, OSDH deputy commissioner. “We’re excited about this opportunity to streamline communications about the vaccine and hopefully make the appointment process easier for everyone.”

During the registration process, Oklahomans will be asked to enter basic contact information, including an email address, and complete a brief questionnaire regarding their medical history. As of 5 p.m. Jan. 6, 103,542 Oklahomans had pre-registered through the Vaccine Scheduler Portal. Oklahomans who have completed pre-registration span various phases of the state’s vaccine distribution plan.

The portal will act as a tool to guide Oklahomans at several key points in the vaccine process: it will send notifications when individuals become eligible and appointments open up, prompt people to schedule their appointments and send appointment reminders for the first and second dose of the vaccine.

As the state advances in its phased approach to vaccine distribution, the system will notify and allow individuals in additional priority groups and phases the opportunity to schedule their appointment. Appointment availability will depend on vaccine supply in each county, which changes from week to week as the state receives more vaccine doses from the federal government.

All Oklahomans can pre-register and eligible Oklahomans can schedule their vaccine appointments now at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov.

If you would like to learn more about your eligibility, but cannot access the internet, please call 211 or your local health department.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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